Time Together
by TheBlueJetpack
Summary: Set immediately after "Day of the Only Child", a simple walk unexpectedly gives Dewey and Webby the chance to spend some quality time together.


Time Together

"Dewey Dew-night…dew dew dew dew dew…"

Dewey groaned and rolled his eyes. He was glad they were well out of ear-shot from his brothers. "Webby, can you please stop? It's embarrassing enough that you caught me doing all that. I don't want the whole world to know."

Webby stopped singing and giggled at the blue-clad duck. "Hee hee hee! Sorry Dewey, but it's just so catchy!"

Dewey just glared while Webby continued to smile innocently. "Don't worry Dewey, I won't tell anyone…unless I need to," she promised with a cheeky gleam in her eye. Dewey sighed; he could never stay mad at Webby for long. But he knew she was being honest. She was, afterall, concealing a far greater secret for him, that being Della Duck's disappearance. By this point, he knew he could trust Webby. "Thanks," he mumbled gratefully as he continued walking down the path from Doofus' mansion with Webby bouncing along beside him.

It was late afternoon and they were heading back to Uncle Scrooge's mansion after the brothers' Only Child Day adventures had ironically brought them back together to fend off evil forces and save each other's backs. And although it had been a big reminder of the importance of sticking together, it still felt nice to have some time to themselves every once in a while. Huey and Louie were quite a distance ahead of them, off to spend the last couple hours of the day doing who-knows-what. Dewey didn't have anything else planned for today, since he didn't exactly feel like reattempting to shoot his promo-tape this evening. So he kept walking with the evening sun shining in his face. It felt rather soothing.

There was no doubt that his theme song was still playing on continuous loop in Webby's head. He could see it all over her silly grin as he glanced at the girl keeping pace with his steps down the path. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, making him instinctively stop as well.

"Um, isn't home that way?" she asked, pointing to the joining path that Dewey had passed on the left; she had missed it too because she had been following alongside him. He nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I'm just going for a little walk. Want to come?" Webby paused for a moment and then smiled brightly. "Sure!"

And soon the 2 young ducks were enjoying a peaceful stroll down the path off the side of the city of Duckburg. The afternoon sun had just begun to set and a cool breeze tossed some stray leaves into the air. The kids didn't remain mute though; they had plenty to chat about. Dewey, who always craved the spotlight and longed for an audience, told his friend about all the adventures he had had while growing up with Huey and Louie in Uncle Donald's houseboat. Webby was a good listener. She "oohed" and "ahhed" at all the right moments. They may not have been the most exciting adventures to recall, but with his family's history being Webby's most treasured hobby, it was exactly what Webby enjoyed listening to.

The latter then told Dewey about her early life growing up in McDuck Manor before she met the triplets, rambling on about all the things she learned to do to keep herself occupied.

Dewey couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as he listened to Webby. There was no doubt that being stuck in the mansion with very limited outside exposure for years had made the girl very lonely with no friends to play with. True friendship was something she had only just begun to experience. He was very glad that she was alone no longer and even more so that he had met her. They were really good friends and had spent a great deal of time together. First bound by the mystery of his mom's disappearance, some greater force must have led the pair to hang out with each other much more frequently. Their sledding exploit on Mt. Neverrest and golfing session of Moorshire had found them time to share some fun (and certain death) together. But they had engaged in other activities together, like eating lunch, playing games, and one night Webby took him out star-gazing on the roof of the mansion. It was mostly to share her extensive knowledge of the night sky but he wondered if she had planned it as a way to spend some time with him alone.

Someone must have noticed though, that with all the times they hung out with each other, they had become extremely close. He found her love for taking dares and going on rip-roaring adventures simply amazing and, in so many ways, she was just like him. It wasn't just that though. Webby was kind and sweet, and never afraid to lend a hand or a comforting word. She always paid attention to him and they understood each other, almost more on some things than his brothers. When it all came down to it, Dewey liked her very much and it would be a lie to say he hadn't quietly developed a slight attraction towards her.

Webby swung her arms merrily at her sides as she and Dewey walked down the path. She had no idea where they were going, but if Dewey was with her, she was all over it.

Now, Webby absolutely loved the triplets. They were her first real friends, in fact they felt very much like the family she had been missing for so long. Truth be told, she had been very distraught over the very idea of the brothers splitting up and was glad they had realized how much they needed each other. She hoped they knew how much she needed them too.

Though she liked each of the boys in different ways, she was easily most fond of Dewey. Through all the crazy adventures they had shared, she had developed such a deep bond with the middle-brother even in the short amount of time they had known each other and tended to be more affectionate towards him compared to Huey or Louie. Sure, he could be cocky and impulsive, and was always looking for ways to be the center of attention, but Webby knew that he had a kind heart and was sensitive to others' feelings. He was fun to pal around with and she liked being with him. And to top it off…she did find Dewey kind of cute.

A short time later, the Dewey and Webby found themselves walking along a beachside boardwalk near the harbour, not too far from the port where Donald's old houseboat used to stand. It was a popular tourist attraction with little shops, surf rentals, lively music, and food vendors. It was less crowded now, for evening had just begun. There was still music in the air and some people walking about, enjoying the fresh sea air. Dewey had been here several times before; Uncle Donald sometimes brought them out to the boardwalk for good behavior and he always loved it. Plus, he knew Webby had never been here before, so he thought this was a good time take her to see something new.

He wasn't disappointed. Webby ran up to each and every shop they passed, pressing her face against the display windows and drooling over everything she saw. Dewey had to drag her away from stuffing her mouth with chocolate walnuts from the free samples platter at a candy shop. Then they came across a man dressed completely in white and standing perfectly still, doing the "statue" routine. Webby went bonkers.

"Dewey, look! He's white all over! Did he see a ghost? Oh my gosh! Are there ghosts here?!"

The boy smiled. "Sorry Webs, but this boardwalk is probably the least haunted place you'll ever find."

Naturally, Webby was confused. "But why's he all white? Did someone prank him?"

It took him a while explain the whole get-up and to convince her that the boardwalk wasn't haunted. Soon they were on their way again, eventually deciding to lean on the railing facing the sunset, which was dipping low over the ocean's horizon bathing the entire beach in a brilliant orange glow. The air was cool and the sea calm. It really was a scene you'd only think of in a perfect fantasy. Webby turned to Dewey.

"I love it this place! It's amazing! Thanks for bringing me here." she said happily. Dewey flashed his typical trademark smile.

"Hey, no problem. I think everyone should see this," he replied.

Webby smiled and turned her gaze back out to the sunset. Dewey did the same, but he wasn't really paying attention. His eyes kept wandering back to Webby. She had closed her eyes, letting the warm light spread over her face. The light ocean breeze was playing with the ends of her hair, sending them in a slight waving motion. Her pink bow seemed to illuminate in the sunset's beams. While she engrossed herself with violence and weaponry, she never failed to sport that bow in her hair every day and it reminded Dewey that she still had a feminine side.

She had a beautiful profile and right now, she looked so relaxed. In fact, she was standing perfectly still against the railing. It was unusual to see this over-reacting, hyper-active girl so calm. As he listened to her soft, rhythmic breathing, Dewey suddenly realized how close they were standing next to each other. Very close, actually.

Suddenly she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. Dewey quickly averted his eyes back to the sunset, hoping he was quick enough. He wasn't.

"What's up Dewey?" she asked. Dewey swallowed hard. "N-nothing," he stuttered, wishing he hadn't been looking at her. "Something wrong?" she pressed on. "You were staring at me."

"I wasn't…I mean, yeah, okay I was…I was just, uh…"

"What's the matter? Do I still have chocolate on my face? Or is there a spider?! EKK! I hate spiders!"

"Webby, no, it's not that at all!" Dewey exclaimed hastily, afraid Webby would make a scene. To his relief, she calmed down, but she wasn't satisfied. "Then what is it? Cuz you were definitely staring at me!" she accused.

Dewey struggled to speak, but for some reason found a huge lump in his throat. He had thought of this for a while now, but never dreamed he would actually tell her. Webby noticed he seemed a little nervous so she softened her expression. "Dewey, what is it?" she asked kindly. She wasn't angry, not the slightest…she was just desperate for an answer.

Dewey sighed. "Okay, okay, I _was_ staring at you. It's 'cuz I just…erm…think…you look kind of cute."

Webby's demeanor completely changed. She blinked as she tried to register what Dewey had just said.

"You…you think I'm…cute?"

Dewey nervously fingered with the rim of his blue shirt as he felt his cheeks heat up. Was he really saying this? There was no way he could back out now. "Yeah. I…always have."

It was hard to tell in the sunset's bright orange glow, but he could swear that a light red tint had cascaded her cheeks. He had never seen Webby blush before. She shuffled her feet as Dewey waited for her to respond.

"Well…I think you're cute too."

"R-really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And sweet." She looked up, meeting Dewey's eyes. "You're always so nice to me. I'm really glad we're friends and…" Webby paused as she played with a lock of her hair, "…you're my favourite triplet. I hope we stay friends forever."

Dewey felt a strange sensation engulf him from the inside. He hadn't been expecting any of that. It was an expression of such profound friendship and affection that he couldn't think of anything to say. Luckily, he didn't have to; Webby walked up to him and gave him a hug, to which Dewey returned. His emotions were bubbling and his thoughts were all but a jumbled clump in his brain. But the only thing that seemed to matter to him right now was the girl resting in his arms. Webby slowly pulled away but didn't completely let go. With her hands still on his shoulders, she smiled fondly at him, their faces only inches apart. Dewey found himself lost in her big beautiful eyes, that seemed to shimmer oddly in the light from the lampposts, which had just started to turn on. It was only at that moment that he finally found the words to speak.

"Thanks, Webby. That really means a lot to me…you're my favourite too. And I'll always be your friend."

She beamed and then leaned forward to place a light kiss on his cheek. Their heart-to-heart moment ended as they resumed their positions, looking out to the horizon: the sun had disappeared, leaving the sky a dazzling mix of pink and blue. Dewey had a small giddy smile on his beak as he tried to work out his feelings upon what had happened only moments ago. He felt a light pressure on his shoulder as Webby gently rested her head upon it. He was amazed at how well she seemed to fit on him. Wordlessly, he draped his arm around her shoulders holding her even closer. Webby nuzzled into him, feeling safe and comfortable with Dewey. She had been waiting a long time to tell him all that. Closing her eyes, she relished in his warmth in the now-cooler atmosphere.

And there they remained for quite some time. Two best friends with an unbreakable bond. Dewey leaned his head upon hers, closed his eyes, and smiled.

This was one Only Child Day he would not be forgetting any time soon.


End file.
